Wednesday, September 7, 2016

My friends, I'm having a contest on my Facebook page and you are welcome to enter!

The prize is a FREE 8 x 8 pastel portrait of your cat or dog. Entering the contest is easy.

So, how do you enter?

Just visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CaroleRodrigueartist and then "LIKE" my page. Then, find the post with the above photo pinned on top, post a photo of your dog or cat that you would like in a portrait, then share the post. On Saturday, September 10, 2016, one lucky winner will be announced on my page and will receive a completely, 100% free portrait, shipping included. Free, nada deniro, no moula, just a free portrait shipped to your home. Why am I doing this? I just want to promote my pet portrait commission services and my Facebook page and thought this is a great idea. It's that simple. So, mosey on over there and enter my contest. It's fun, and it's FREE! #pastelpetportraits #catpaintings, #dogpaintings #petportraitcommissions #petportraitgiveaway #petportraitstoronto #petportraitssudbury #petportraitscanada

Monday, April 25, 2016

This is Mitsou, my cat. She's been a subject of mine in the past and probably will be again. She's such a photogenic creature, as well as a beautiful painting subject for a pet portrait.

I'm currently working on a few oil paintings, one of which is a giant private commission that unfortunately, I won't be able to share. It's a large 36 x 46! It's not a pet portrait, but a person. I'm also working on some smaller pieces, one of which is a mourning dove. That one I can't wait to share!

In the meantime while paint is drying, I decided to play a little with pastels as part of my decision to have more fun with my art this year. I'm also playing more with charcoal, graphite, as well as coloured pencils. I've been so serious in these past years and it feels so liberating to just play again. That's not to say that I won't be creating serious works because I will. My hockey painting was a very serious piece for me and one that means a lot. But playing is important too in order to not become stagnant and to keep feeling inspired.

Isn't that what art should be about?

So, expect more, a lot more. I'm just warming up and starting to have fun.

Hope you enjoy this one!

P.S. If you want a pastel pet portrait of your dog or cat, I can offer you an 8 x 8 for a mere $150 Canadian. It's a perfect size for a head pose and pet portraits make great gifts! Mother's Day and Father's Day are approaching soon!

Sunday, March 13, 2016

In case you haven't noticed, I've been painting things other than still life lately. Does this mean I'm done with still life? Absolutely not.

What this means is that I'm letting myself paint whatever it is I am inspired to paint at any different point in time. I'm refusing to be boxed into a category, (i.e. She's a still life artist.) I want to paint it all!

Years ago I used to paint mostly animals, from horses and pets, to wildlife. It's only in the last few years that I had focused a lot on still life. This was crucial to my learning journey and growth as an artist and I take it for what it is.

I'm now at a point in my life and career that I need to paint for the love of it alone, the passion, and I love painting animals and always have. I will still paint still life too. Animals will be incorporated into my still life paintings. This is part of the natural progression of an artist's journey and I consider it coming full circle. So, expect more animals, more still life, and more animals in still life. Oh, and you might find the odd landscape. ;-) Plein air painting is on the list too. :-D

This Trumpeter Swan is one from a local bird sanctuary. I've been a few times these past two months for reference materials and I'm so in love with these birds. I returned again yesterday to catch shots in the fading sun. I was not disappointed. There will be many swans in my work in the future, so keep checking!

I'm also currently working on a squirrel, as well as starting a new crow painting, and a very special still life. These will take a while, especially the still life. I am having so much fun again working. I get up excited and looking forward to being in the studio again. I have to admit that for a while that spark had faded a little. Not a lot, just a little, but enough to nudge me in the right direction, one that fuels my heart and artistic passions, and that's what we're supposed to do anyway.

I'm also taking this opportunity as a reminder that I am available for commissions, whether these be still life or pets, and yes people too! I'm leaving you with a couple of extra photos and I'll be back later this week with my squirrel!

Kayla, pet portrait of a Golden Labrador. She was a sweet dog and is very missed by her family.

Dante's Apache Dragon. This beauty's painting is in Arizona. He is one of the most beautiful horses I have ever painted, and his colour is striking, literally. He has wonderfully unique markings, including a lightening bolt on his cheek. Harry Potter anyone?

Saturday, March 5, 2016

I had absolutely no plans to do this painting this week. I hadn't thought about it for quite a while.

I had photographed this bird as a reference after it sadly crashed in my window last summer. It was heartbreaking to find the little guy.

This week, after I completed the Boxer painting, my plan was to work on a new piece featuring a crow. For some strange reason, once I got in my studio to start the crow drawing and composition, I impulsively turned to references of my poor bird and immediately started working on it.

Later that night, I found out that well known bird artist Ajay Brainard had passed away from his battle with cancer. Ajay painted the most wonderful paintings of dead birds, all of which were emotional and left you thinking and wondering. Although we were friends on Facebook, we didn't actually know each other personally, but I've always been a big admirer of his work. Ajay was far too young to be taken by cancer and the art world will have a huge hole left in it.

While I was working on this, another artist friend who had won her battle with cancer, told me that she felt a strong connection with this piece. It was personal to her and spoke to her. After I completed the piece, she suggested I call it Fragile because it stirred memories of her battle, and that it would mean so much to her if I did. I agreed. My mother was also taken by cancer a few years ago, and my best friend recently lost her husband to cancer, shortly before Christmas. I could really empathize.

These are painful moments that connect people on some deep level that can't be explained. Was there some sort of Jungian connection to Ajay's passing on this same day I started painting this? I don't know. We only talked about art a few times on social media and I followed his art. I really can't say I knew him. I do believe, however, that we are all connected on some level. I think similar experiences bring people together for unknown reasons. My friend who survived cancer was immediately drawn to this painting for some unknown reason. I've painted a lot of things, but this is the first time I've had this reaction to a piece. Maybe it's the dark subject matter. I don't know. I did hesitate painting it for a long time because of the darkness it conveyed, even though countless realist and classical artists have painted dead birds and animals before. I'm certainly not the first one. Maybe this was just the right time for this painting.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am planning on that crow painting, and hopefully complete a swan piece I had started. I promise it'll be lighter. :-)

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

I hope everyone's been well! I've been super busy at this end but have been finding time to paint. I promise to show a new piece very soon!

In the mean time, I created this little video with a compilation of some of my paintings. Most are oil, some are daily paintings, some are bigger works, some are acrylic, and some pastel. Yes, it's fun to work in various mediums, but oil is still my favorite.

There's also a speed painting video that I'm planning as soon as I have some logistics figured out. Once I do, they'll be up and I'm also planning perhaps tutorials, such as an e-book with accompanying video. I've got so many plans and I hope to implement these soon.

Please have a look at my video, give it a like, and PLEASE SHARE! Yes, artists need you, art lovers, to share our work. I thank you all for stopping by and I'll be back soon! Until then, take care!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Here is my latest dog commission. Joey is a Llassa Apso/Poodle cross and was
painted as a gift. It's still not too late to commission a pet portrait for
Christmas.

Also, I've completed a still life tonight, one which was elaborated from a
daily painting study I had painted a couple of months ago. It's done but I want
to look at it another day before signing and sharing, so stay tuned!

P.S. I'm thrilled to say that Santa Baby sold the same night I posted the painting here, my website, and Facebook. Someone saw it on FB and bought it the same night. It is now on its way to Texas!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Here's a portrait I've just completed for someone of their 14 year old mare, Teakie. Painting Teakie was a great pleasure. She has such a gentle eye and seems so sweet that I wanted to bathe her in light rather than just doing a plain portrait. But, that's my style, isn't it? I just love to add that light which makes a piece a little more special.

I've got a few days off work also and am enjoy this holiday. I've been finally able to begin to catch up on things and, of course, relax! So, what am I doing other than relaxing? I'm painting and thank heavens for that!

Now that Teakie's done, I'd started another horse piece, a larger cropped portrait and I can't wait to have it done! It should be done soon, and this time I did take photos so that I could post a "work in progress" series. I wil try to post these tonight or tomorrow, and will keep adding them until the final piece is completed, which of course, won't be long. It's funny how I came to paint this piece also. I was cleaning out old, unecessary photos from my computer a couple weeks back and came across this photo I've had for a few years. I've seen this hundreds of times, but this time, a painting just jumped out at me and I had to start it! Funny thing this inspiration. You can never tell where it'll come from next. So, note to self, don't discard too many older photos. Some gem may be in there and you just don't know it yet.

Once this is done, I've got a great shiny chrome water pitcher that's sitting in my cupboard and I've been itching to paint it. Each time I open this cupboard door, there's the pitcher saying, "Hey, what about me?" So, I will start with that as soon as I'm done the next equine piece. I am putting aside another larger still life, but will get to that as soon as I'm done the pitcher. Inspiration. When it hits, you just gotta follow . . .

Buddy, German Shepherd Portrait in Oil

About Me

I am a Canadian artist living in Sudbury, Ontario. My artistic passions include oil painting still life, pet portraits, and other animals. My artistic spirit is fueled by a passion for capturing the beauty in this world. I am available for pet portrait commissions in oil of your dog, cat, horse, bird, rabbit, or whatever animal you want painted. I also do still life commissions. View more of my art or inquire about commissioning a painting at www.carolerodrigue.com